Marks Spencer Operations Management Essay Example

Marks Spencer Operations Management Paper The Company- A journey from cave to modern civilized societies, Marks and Spencer from a single market stall to a giant international multi-channel retailer has travelled over 129 years to establish its deep roots all over the world with 766 UK and 418 international stores. Marks and Spencer stores are spread over 50 territories worldwide employing almost 82000 people. Marks and Spencer is a general retailer that sells clothes, gifts, home furnishings and foods. The UK turnover is split between Food (54%) and General Merchandise (46%). Marks and Spencer acknowledges the fact that consumer is the real king of market. This can be drawn from its founding values which consist of Quality, Value, Service, Innovation and Trust; it also assures to work hard to ensure its offer continues to be relevant to its customers. The vision and mission of the company is to be the standard against which others are measured and to make aspirational quality accessible to all. This suggests that ‘Quality’ is at the heart of Marks and Spencer’s operations strategy (Marks and Spencer, 2013). International Expansion: Mamp;S has a clear and targeted strategy for its international growth. Henceforth it continues to build more new stores to expand in key locations across its priority markets, employing a mix of ownership models including partnerships and franchises (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Operations Strategy- An Overview- We will write a custom essay sample on Marks Spencer Operations Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marks Spencer Operations Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marks Spencer Operations Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Operations Strategy Perspective: The operations activities are aimed to achieve operations strategy of the business. Marks and Spencer’s operations management activities ensure that all its products are of high quality and the stores are located in the most convenient locations. This reflects that the operations strategy of Marks and Spencer is of a ‘top-down’ perspective where the business wants its operations to provide quality products with an easy access to all. The Top-down Strategy Hierarchy: Corporate Strategy: Mamp;S aims to be the world’s most sustainable retailer. Its eco and ethical programme, is at the very heart of how they do business. Mamp;S also aims to be a truly international, multi-channel retailer which can be accessible to even more customers around the globe (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Business Strategy: Mamp;S is reaching more customers across the new and existing markets through its online development. In order to dominate the competition, Mamp;S has facilitated its customers with ‘free next day delivery’ to its stores. Moreover, Mamp;S has also developed i-phone application to carry out its sales via mobile phones. Mamp;S has also encouraged the online sales to make it more convenient for its customers to shop with them (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Functional Strategy: Improved navigation, greater choice, exclusive ranges and offers have boosted the online sales by 16. 6% in 2013. The recent performance of the technology depicts that i-phone application has increased the sales via mobile phones by 200% this year. To carry out its operations efficiently, Mamp;S has developed a fully mechanised 900,000 square feet e-commerce distribution centre which is the UK’s largest. It has the capacity to process and ship up to a million products per week to customers’ homes and Mamp;S stores across the country (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Store Layout: Mamp;S has revamped its visual merchandising and window displays to do a better job of showcasing its products. The different fashion brand such as Per Una, Autograph, Indigo, Classic, North Coast, Blue Harbour, Cellezione and its core Mamp;S Man and Woman will have dedicated ‘shop in shop’ area so that the in-store environment communicates each brand’s distinctive values. In the food department, Mamp;S has refreshed the shelving with wood effect shelf edges to look less like a supermarket and more like a specialist (Baker, 2011). Mamp;S store is therefore a mix of functional and fixed position layout type where general merchandise and food department operates in a functional layout type and the restaurant being the fixed position layout type. Technology: Mamp;S understands the growing importance and contribution of strong IT function to operate efficiently in the multi channel world. The role of technology is changing at Mamp;S and as a result changing the company itself. Marks amp; Spencer rolls out ePLUM Enterprise Scale Manager from Invatron Systems Corp. to 37 of its European stores to centrally manage its in-store deli and bakery department scales. ePLUM Enterprise Scale Manager is a multi- vendor, multilingual, web- enabled solution that provides retailers with centralized control of in- store scales and printers accessible from any computer in the enterprise; this makes the operations much efficient and fast (Anon. , 2013). The internal team of software engineers of the company are developing new IT driven customer innovation projects that include 156 screens dubbed ‘Browse and Order’ – in store terminals where customers can buy Mamp;S’s entire online range across 63 stores. Moreover, Mamp;S has equipped 1500 customer assistants with i-pads to enable them to demonstrate to the customers, the store’s full range of the products, its availability and its sizes. The client- facing technology of Mamp;S includes virtual makeover counters, which allow customers to see how they would look on applying certain beauty products. On developing bid data strategy, Mamp;S will be able to drive its profitability and improve marketing and promotions by using data insights smartly. This technology will enable Mamp;S to send specific e-mails regarding promotions and offers to its customers based on their purchase history rather than sending bulk e-mails to all its customers which is of no relevance (Stein, 2013). All these advancements by the IT team of Mamp;S are aimed at encouraging customers to use technology to spend more money at Mamp;S. Supply Chain Management: It is very crucial for every business to have a strong supply chain network in order to satisfy its customers before the competitors do. Mamp;S though being one of the UK’s largest retailers is criticised by its Finance Director, Alan Stewart for under investing infrastructure for upwards of 20 years. He further adds that the way the company buys and distributes its clothing is inappropriate. Shoppers may be looking for the latest looks and demanding new ideas in stores and online every few weeks, but Mamp;S takes two to three weeks just to transport goods from UK ports to its stores. This is where Mamp;S is losing its competitive edge in the market because the other retailers have hi-tech systems to track stock. For example, one of the rival retailers, Hamp;M boasts that it can get designs from the drawing board to the store in a fortnight, while Mamp;S takes longer than that just to get its merchandise from the ports to its shops (Butler, 2013). For the businesses like Mamp;S where the life span of a product is very short- clothes due to change in fashion and food due to expiry, the business must develop strong bonds and ties with its suppliers. In order to increase the ability to respond quickly to the ever changing needs of customers, Marks and Spencer should work closely with its suppliers and integrate the supply chain so that both Marks and Spencer and its suppliers are working towards the same business objectives. Hence, there will be a win – win situation for both Mamp;S and its suppliers which will increase the operations efficiency and enable them meeting the market requirements on time. Logistics: Gist has a long history providing logistic operations for Marks and Spencer. Gist manages 100% of the storage and distribution of Marks and Spencer food products to their 700 plus stores, 24 hours a day and 7 day a week. Warehouses across the UK are operated by Gist employees who receive and pick store orders and then distribute to Marks and Spencer stores, including Simply Food, throughout the UK and Ireland, covering all their high street, forecourt and out-of-town stores (Gist, 2013). Outsourcing its storage and distribution would make Marks and Spencer’s logistics much faster and this will increase its efficiency in delivery to customers, increased sales and high customer satisfaction. Inventory Management: Inventory planning and control is an important aspect of operations management. In a market, customers demand certain quantity of products and services at a particular time. The role of operations is to supply and deliver the required quantity of products and services when demanded. Marks and Spencer in February 2013 was caught of having shortage in the stock of winter coats and woollens due to cold snap. The Chief Executive of Mamp;S, Marc Bolland said that Mamp;S sold 100,000 cardigans and jumpers from its core Mamp;S Woman collection in the fourth quarter but could have sold three times that number. Bolland insisted that the weakness was not down to having wrong fashions in its shops but there was just not enough stock of the right ones. The majority of Mamp;S’s knitwear is being made in Asia. Therefore, Mamp;S was unable to repeat orders fast enough and thus failed to meet the market demand (Wood, 2012). The above instance demonstrates the importance of demand forecasting in managing the inventory which was missing in this case. In a multi-echelon inventory system, effective communication between the different echelons is of high importance to deliver the products at a rapid pace. Mamp;S could have succeeded in minimising some of its losses had there been more flexibility in the supply chain and latest requirement updates in the inventories. Mamp;S Inventory and Technology: Marks and Spencer has chosen Quantum Retail technology, ‘Q’ to improve inventory management. This technology is able to forecast and make inventory decisions in real time while considering both inter-day and intra-day stocking. Quantum Retail’s software solution, Q manages the end-to-end inventory forecasting, replenishment and order planning needs (Quantum Retail, 2010). Quality Management: Mamp;S operates rigorous Quality Management Systems which have been developed with its suppliers. To ensure total quality, the systems operate on a precautionary principle and are supported by a range of on-site audits and product testing. Further, Mamp;S also ensures that its suppliers meet a range of quality, safety, environmental and social standards (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Mamp;S is renowned for its ‘quality and innovation’ and is often appraised by its customers for providing quality worth every penny spent at Mamp;S. The customers expect the best from Mamp;S products but recently, Mamp;S was in headlines for selling low quality and cheap clothing products. Fashion watchers, rivals and its customers insisted Mamp;S to abandon this practice. One of the rival retailers suggested Mamp;S that it should be aiming to be a premium brand rather than trying to compete on price (Watkins, at el. 2013). The company should stick to its set objectives and design its day to day operations in such a way that it leads to achieving its long term goals. The mission of the company is to provide aspirational quality that is available to all. The above discussed case is a clear case of Mamp;S’s deviation from its long term goals. To rectify this error, Mamp;S should rediscuss its company objectives and strategies with its suppliers to ensure guaranteed and rapid recovery. Plan A and Sustainable Operations: Mamp;S aims to become the world’s most sustainable retailer. Its eco and ethical programme is at the very heart of how Mamp;S carries out its business. Mamp;S claims to make its business sustainable by integrating Plan A into every aspect of its operations- including the products that they evelop and sell, the stores that they rebuild or refit and the way they work with their suppliers and engage its employees. Plan A’s success lies in its innovative thinking and ideas. With the help of Plan A Innovation Fund, Mamp;S has launched a number of promising projects. These projects include ideas for developing more sustainable clothing fabrics, original thinking about ways to improve labour standards in t heir supply chains and a joint project with the Natural Environment Research Council to improve the way they share knowledge and work with its suppliers (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Plan A Activities: CO2 Neutral Mamp;S is proud to be certified as CarbonNuetral  ® Company across its operations in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Mamp;S also encourages its suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas emission through actively developing various programmes aimed at this (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Zero Waste to Landfill Besides this, Mamp;S continue to work for reducing the amount of waste produced within its business. Mamp;S successfully fulfilled its commitment of sending no waste to landfill from its UK stores, offices, warehouses and construction activities (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Corporate Social Responsibilities: The Britain’s retailer has always cared about environment and society. Mamp;S knows that many of its customers as well do care about the environmental and social issues. So, it is of no surprise that Mamp;S customers donated a total of 3. 8 million clothes items through its Shwopping Scheme which raised ? 2. 3 million for Oxfam (Marks and Spencer, 2013). CSR activities at Mamp;S: Breakthrough Breast Cancer: The Company also carried out campaigns for raising money for Breast Cancer donations. Mamp;S has now generated ? 9 million for Breakthrough Breast Cancer in 12 years (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Big Beach clean – up: In April 2013, around 5000 customers and 4000 Mamp;S employees worked with the Marine Conservation Society at over 160 beaches, riversides and canals, cleaning, clearing enough rubbish to fill 4000 recycle bin bags (Marks and Spencer, 2013). These activities suggest that Mamp;S has always taken very hands on approach towa rds its corporate social responsibilities. Recommendations: Customer Satisfaction – It is very necessary for Marks and Spencer to maintain high quality standards in all their products. The prices of the Mamp;S products are usually higher than that of its rival companies such as Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s in food and Primark and Debenhams in clothing. Therefore, Mamp;S needs to ensure that all its products are of high quality because their customers are paying that extra amount in hope that the products will be of a better quality than other rival retailers. The hidden benefit for Mamp;S satisfying its customers is reduced complaints and therefore less service costs of paying an employee to find out the cause of the issue and fix it. This will increase customers’ loyalty towards Mamp;S which would lead to positive word of mouth publicity to the potential customers. Supplier Satisfaction: It is Mamp;S’s best interests to keep their suppliers happy by paying them enough and on time. This would make its suppliers feel like a part of Mamp;S and would be encouraged to work keeping in mind the needs and objectives of Mamp;S. By working more closely with its suppliers, Mamp;S can ensure that their products are of great quality standards are delivered on time with no or less troubles. Word Count: 2431 References: * Mamp;S, 2013. Company Overview. [online]Available at: lt;http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/aboutus/company_overviewgt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Mamp;S, 2013. Our Plan. [online] Available at: lt;http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/aboutus/our_plangt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Baker, R. , 2011. Marketing Week, Mamp;S outlines new store strategy for brands, [online] Available at: lt;http://www. marketingweek. co. uk/ms-outlines-new-store-strategy-for-brands/3030044. articlegt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. Anon. , 2013. Marks amp; Spencer rolls out ePLUM Enterprise Scale Manager from Invatron Systems Corp. to 37 of its European stores. Invantron Systems Corp. , [blog] 2013, Available at: lt;http://www. invatron. com/blog/main/press-releases/marks-spencer-rolls-out-eplum-enterprise-scale-manager-from-invatron-systems-corp-to-37-of-its-european-stores/gt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Stein, D. , 2013. CIO Interview: Darrel Stein, IT director, Marks and S pencer Interviewed by Angelica Mari , [online] on Computer Weekly. Available at: lt;http://www. computerweekly. com/news/2240179873/CIO-interview-Darrell-Stein-IT-director-Marks-and-Spencergt; , 20 March 2013, 17:15. * Butler, S. , 2013. Mamp;S boss under pressure amid race to upgrade supply chain. The Guardian, [online] 10 May 2013. Available at: lt;http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2013/may/10/marks-and-spencer-marc-bolland-technologygt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Gist, 2011. Marks and Spencer Excellence in food logistics. [online] Available at: lt;http://www. gistworld. om/en-gb/customers/case-studies/marks-spencer/gt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Wood, Z. , 2012. Mamp;S admits womenswear stock shortages hit sales. The Guardian, [online] 17 April 2012. Available at: lt;http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2012/apr/17/marks-spencer-womenswear-stock-shortagesgt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Quantum Retail, 2010. Marks amp; Spencer Selects Quantum Retail to Improve Inventory Management. [online] Available at: lt; http://quantumretail. com/2010/01/0 5/marks-spencer-selects-quantum-retail-to-i

Caffeine Typing Speed - Sample Science Fair Projects

Caffeine Typing Speed - Sample Science Fair Projects Purpose The purpose of this project is to determine whether taking caffeine affects typing speed. Hypothesis Typing speed is not affected by whether or not you take caffeine. (Remember: You cannot scientifically prove a hypothesis, however, you can disprove one.) Experiment Summary You are going to type the same text repeatedly for a specified length of time and compare how many words you typed before ingesting caffeine and afterward. Materials computera drink containing caffeine and another drink of the same type that does not contain caffeine (e.g., coffee and decaf coffee, diet cola and decaf diet cola)stopwatch or timer Experimental Procedure Drink the non-caffeinated beverage. Wait 30 minutes.Type The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. as many times as you can for 2 minutes. If you can, type using a word processing program that keeps track of how many words you have entered.Drink the caffeinated beverage. Wait 30 minutes. (The peak effects from taking caffeine tend to be felt around 30-45 minutes after taking it.)Type The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. as many times as you can for 2 minutes.Compare the number of words you typed. Calculate words per minute by dividing the total number of words that were typed by the number of minutes (e.g., 120 words in 2 minutes would be 60 words per minute).Repeat the experiment, preferably a total of at least three times. Data Construct a table stating the type of drink and the number of words you could type in 2 minutes.Calculate your average typing speed (words per minute) for each drink. Results Did taking caffeine affect how quickly you could type? If it did, did you type more or fewer words under the influence of caffeine? Conclusions Was your hypothesis accepted or rejected? Can you propose an explanation for the outcome?Do you think you would get the same results if you had tested the effects of the caffeinated beverage first? Caffeine stays in your system for a few hours. When it wears off, some people report feeling crashed instead of normal.How do you think the results would be affected by changing the amount of caffeine? What do you think would happen if you took too much caffeine?Do you think you became better at typing the test sentence over time?If your word processor can track typing errors, did you note any difference in the accuracy of your typing after drinking the caffeinated beverage? Could you propose a hypothesis about the effect of caffeine use on typing accuracy? Things to Think About Caffeine occurs naturally in over 50 different types of plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, and kola nuts.Caffeine acts as a mild stimulant. Some studies have shown that taking caffeine may temporarily increase concentration, reasoning, and memory. However, the effects of caffeine wear off after a few hours and if you routinely take caffeine you will need to take more to get the same effect.Most adults are exposed to caffeine in coffee and energy drinks. Children are likely to get caffeine from energy drinks, soft drinks, tea, and chocolate. Amount of Caffeine in Common Products Product Caffeine (mg) coffee (8 oz) 65 - 120 Red Bull (8.2 oz) 80 tea (8 oz) 20 - 90 cola (8 oz) 20 - 40 dark chocolate (1 oz) 5 - 40 milk chocolate (1 oz) 1 - 15 chocolate milk (8 oz) 2 - 7 decaf coffee (8 oz) 2 - 4

A Comparison Of A Certain Lady

A Comparison Of A Certain Lady The portrayal of women in literature has varied greatly as history has progressed. In the Jazz Age, women were seen as breaking free from being just a housewife and the shadow of a man. The flapper was a woman who closely resembles the women of today. She smoked, drank, wore revealing clothing for the time, and considered herself an equal to men. A woman who had a career that rivaled most men was Dorothy Parker. She was a founding member of the Vicious Circle meaning that some men even treated her as an equal during a time when women’s right were still new and the role of what was expected of a woman was changing. In the poems A Certain Lady, To a Lady, and The Lady’s Reward Parker explores the mind of a woman, and how said woman used what she had to get what she needed. The poem A Certain Lady depicts how a certain woman would act while a man told her of his exploits. The woman is expected to just listen and almost be happy that the man is having successful conquests. The woman is supposed to be passive and bat her eyes and be oblivious to the entire situation because historically women were thought of being not as intelligent as men. However in this poem it is obvious that the woman is extremely intelligent. The last two lines of the poems read, â€Å"And what goes on, my love, while you’re away, /You’ll never know.† It is obvious that the speaker knows how the man really is because it is implied that while he is away she has her own agenda. This also implies equality between them, at least in the speaker’s mind. The speaker believes that as the man is allowed to do as he pleases that she is equally as deserving to do the same. Despite this, the speaker seemed slightly upset at the man’s actions although she likely might be doing the same: And you laugh back, nor can you ever see The thousand little deaths my heart has diedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Nor do you see my staring eyes of nights, And when, in se arch of novelty, you stray. The speaker definitely seems hurt by what this man is telling her. It is as though every time the man tells her of his conquests, a little piece of her heart dies. It seems like it is slowly crushing her. The speaker goes on to say that the man does not see her â€Å"staring eyes.† Perhaps this means that the man does not see what he is doing to her or even that she stares into the night wondering what he could be doing at that moment. It seems that the woman lives by the saying â€Å"ignorance is bliss.† It seems that as long as he is not telling her of his exploits. She can go on with her life and do as she pleases. As long as she pretends she is not intelligent she can have pretend happiness or continue to try filling a void that is cannot be filled. A poem that continues with the concept of the woman being intentionally ignorant to what is going on is To a Lady. However in this poem, the ignorance is used with a different motive.

Project two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project two - Essay Example This has however become much better than ever, women have started enjoying equal rights and have equal power as their counterparts. Feminism is a very important concept that must be thrown light upon when gender conflict is being talked about. Feminist aims at providing women more power and more rights than ever seen before. There are several feminists fighting for the rights of women all across the globe. Respect is also another important factor for which the feminists are consistently fighting. Gender conflict has made us understand how people enjoy preferential treatment and how the inferior strive for parity in the society. Race conflict is also quite similar to gender conflict, some people consider that their race is superior and others are inferior to them, this is certainly beyond the pale. Having a level playing field in the society is essential to facilitate growth; an ideal society always provides a level playing field. â€Å"Rae Lesser Blumberg developed a theory emphasiz ing women’s degree of control of the means of production and the distribution of economic surplus.† (Blumberg) Blumberg’s aimed at explaining the position of women relative to men in almost all types of societies. These societies included the earliest societies to the late twentieth century. This theory discussed some really important aspects like economic power of women, importance of women in the society, economic power of women in the society, sexual stratification so on and so forth. â€Å"Sexual stratification, Blumberg argues, is ultimately driven by the degree to which, relative to men, women control the means of production and the allocation of productive surplus or, in Marxian terms, â€Å"surplus value.† Such control gives women  economic power  that, in turn, influences their level of political power, prestige, and other stratifying resources. In Blumberg’s view, sexual inequalities are â€Å"nested† at diverse levels: Male-fe male relations are nested in households; households are nested in local communities; and if a society is sufficiently large to reveal a coercive state and a system of class stratification, household and community are nested inside of the class structure that, in turn, is lodged within a larger state-managed society. This nesting is important because women’s control of economic resources can be located at different levels, and the level at which their economic power is strongest influences the power that women can command at the other levels of social organization.† (Feminist Conflict Theory) Macro level control and micro level control are some important aspects which must be paid attention to. A woman is ought to enjoy power in a household if she contributes immensely to the income of a household, she will have a say in micro aspects of the household as well if she can contribute towards work and family income. Similarly a woman who is not able to earn and contribute to wards the household income will not enjoy as much freedom and control as a woman who can earn and support her family. Financial freedom is extremely important for a woman to be considered powerful enough; only a powerful woman can make decisions and can stand against oppression. Economic power at a macro level facilitates women in getting political as well as coercive power in the society. The economic power of women is consistently on the rise; this is the time of transition. This period of transition is perceived as a major

Rousseau, Locke and Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rousseau, Locke and Kant - Essay Example If changing the world means changing the beliefs,possibly even the worldviews of people,Rousseau,Locke and Kant have hanged the world.Certainly,unlike the case with Marx,their political philosophies did not inspire revolutions which changed nations,led to cold wars between East and West or motivated the construction of the Berlin Wall. However, Locke, Rousseau and Kant changed our political perspectives, our understanding of the rights and duties of citizens and states and emphasized man’s right and responsibility to take political action, even revolution, when needed. From a subjective perspective, at least, these three philosophers have changed the world. We live in a dynamic world, one which is constantly changing, with much of this change being political in nature. One of the primary engines of change is political philosophy. The work of the philosophers is to question, critique and redefine the world. Through their continued critical interpretation of the world, philosoph ers explain certain trends and phenomenon as, for example, Locke and Rousseau did in relation to the evolution of governments. However, their work is not limited to providing explanations but to exposing the conditions surrounding a phenomenon and its intended purposes versus its current function. Again, as an example, Rousseau outlined the conditions which motivated men to enter into a social contract with governments, or a central authority. In doing so, they imposed a set of obligations upon governments, with the implication being that these governments do not only derive their legitimacy from the will of the masses but that they retain their legitimacy by fulfilling their obligation to the masses. By exposing such phenomenon and by making people see the difference between what was intended and what now is, versus what should be, philosophers are not only interpreting the world but they are inciting men to change it. In some instances, they do so by exposing the extent to which s ome things have deviated from their intended purposes and by justifying corrective action. In others, they incite change by highlighting the extent to which certain phenomenon, as in political systems, have oppressed men, are contrary to the natural order and by proposing alternatives. Political philosophy is interpretive and it may be argued that political philosophers have subjectively interpreted the world but, interpretations are directed towards the inciting of change and action. Marx may have had a different point of view and may have argued that philosophers have not fulfilled their purpose of changing the world and only interpreted it. However, from a personal point of view and on the basis of the political philosophers discussed and studied so far and discussions on the purpose of political philosophy, I am persuaded that the purpose is to change, not just interpret, and that many have successfully fulfilled this purpose. A brief review of the political philosophies of Locke, Rousseau and Kant shall argue this point of view. In his Second treatise of Government, Locke investigates the circumstances which incited men to undertake the creation of a central authority and the conditions which determined that this central authority, the government, is legitimate. In examining this question, Locke traces the emergence of political communities to the tribal and group structures which had earlier dominated. Illustrating that while these bands, due to size, may not have needed governments or a central authority and state institutions, the gradual growth of these tribes and their evolution into settled communities, imposed this necessity. In order to protect their interests, their life and property, community members entered into a social contract with a central authority, resigning part of their liberty to that central authority, in exchange for protection through law and order and, importantly, through policies and actions which benefit the interests of the majority.

Answer Key for Effective Writing Essay Example for Free

Answer Key for Effective Writing Essay School purchasers may make copies for use by their staff and students. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. 1 198 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 USA Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Any websites referred to in this publication are in the public domain and their addresses are provided by Oxford University Press for information only. Oxford University Press disclaims any responsibility for the content. oxford and o xford english are registered trademarks of Oxford University Press Executive Publisher: Janet Aitchison Senior Acquisitions Editor: Pietro Alongi Associate Editor: Scott Allan Wallick Art Director: Maj-Britt Hagsted Production Manager: Shanta Persaud Production Controller: Eve Wong  © Oxford University Press 2007 isbn: 978- 0-19-430884-7 Database right Oxford University Press (maker) Effective Academic Writing 3: Answer Key an engineer . Both my mother and father were born in different countries, so my relatives are scattered all over the world . I really like traveling and have been to Europe and Asia . Although we try to get together for important occasions, this was the first time everyone could attend . Most importantly, my good friends had never met my relatives . Developing good friendships takes a lot of work . Watching them all dancing, laughing, and having a wonderful time will stay in my memory forever . The band we hired played music that the guests loved and we danced for hours .

William Faulkners A Rose for Emily : Her Father is to Blame :: A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner

A Rose for Emily - Her Father is to Blame  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily tells a story of a young woman who is violated by her father’s strict mentality. After being the only man in her life Emily’s father dies and she finds it hard to let go. Like her father Emily possesses a stubborn outlook towards life, and she refused to change. While having this attitude about life Emily practically secluded herself from society for the remainder of her life. She was alone for the very first time and her reaction to this situation was solitude. This story takes place throughout the Reconstruction Era from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s in Jefferson, Mississippi. Emily was raised in the period before the Civil War. Her father who was the only person in her life with the exception of a former lover who soon left her as well raised her. The plot of this story is mainly about Miss Emily’s attitude about change. While growing up Emily was raised in a comfortable environment because her father possessed a lot of money. Considering that her father was a very wealthy person who occasionally loaned the town money Emily had everything a child could want. This caused Emily to be very spoiled and selfish and she never knew the value of a dollar until her father left her with nothing but a run down home that started to decay after a period of time. She began to ignore the surrounding decay of the house and her appearance. These lies continued as she denied her father’s death, refused to pay taxes, ignore s town gossip about her being a fallen woman, and does not tell the druggist why she purchased rat poison. Her life, like the decaying house suffered from a lack of genuine love and care. Her physical appearance is brought about by years of neglect. As time went on pieces from Emily started to drift away and also the home that she confined herself to. The town grew a great deal of sympathy towards Emily, although she never hears it. She was slightly aware of the faint whispers that began when her presence was near. Gossip and whispers may have been the cause of her hideous behavior. The town couldn’t wait to pity Ms. Emily because of the way she looked down on people because she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and she never thought she would be alone the way her father left her.

Bhagavad Gita on Krishnas Teachings

5. Bhagavad Gita The story in the Bhagavad Gita with Arjuna and Krishna has many teachings of Krishna about renunciation, selfless services, and meditation. It’s also important why Arjuna doesn’t want to wage war. There are many things that Krishna tells Arjuna. All of this will be brought up throughout the essay. In the story Arjuna does not want to wage war. His sudden reaction is reasoned by his internal feelings for this war. Arjuna doesn’t understand why he should have his family risk their lives in the war. Arjuna also does not agree with this war because he really does not like the kingdom that rules him anyways.Arjuna does not want to renounce his worldly possessions for peace in the action. At this point in time Arjuna doesn’t understand the selfless service in this action of war. Krishna appears in a bright light to Arjuna when Arjuna asked to see him. Krishna came to Arjuna to help him understand why he was being asked to wage war for the kingdo m. Krishna tells Arjuna many things when they are together discussing the war. Krishna begins by telling Arjuna about the life and death cycle of a Hindus. The life and death cycle in Hinduism is based on the persons Karma.Their Karma is what decides the reincarnation process and/or being of their next body. In Hinduism the reason of the life and death cycle is to work on their Karma. Krishna then explains that truly divine humans find peace in serving the gods. Therefore, Arjuna needs to be at peace with what Krishna and the other gods are asking of him in this war. This was to explain to Arjuna that he needs to find peace in his actions but not to renounce his worldly possessions for it. Arjuna again is struggling with allowing his family fight in this war where they could lose their lives.Krishna then wants Arjuna to do this selfless service for him. Selfless service is a way of serving the gods and a good practice of Karma. Meditation is a way of arriving at selflessness. Medita tion helps break the rebirth and death cycle, because meditation is used to focus on achieving the divine. Krishna was able to convince Arjuna that this war was a good thing. Arjuna, after spending the time with Krishna, felt reassured that his worries were for no reason and this action would help in eternity. Krishna explains his reasoning to Arjuna.Arjuna than understood his task and the teachings of Krishna. Renunciation to find peace in the action of war was one teaching of Krishna. Committing this selfless service for the gods was good for Arjuna’s karma was the second lesson that was taught during their meeting. The last teaching of Krishna to Arjuna was about the importance of meditation. All of Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna revolved around creating a better Karma and therefore, ending the rebirth, life, and death cycle. Ending that cycle is over all goal of the Hindus religion.

Nature vs. Nurture Essay

Homosexuality, Addictions and Intelligence There have always been disputes on whether the decision to be homosexual or heterosexual was based on biological or environmental factors. These disputes are known as the Nature vs. Nurture argument. The two sides argue over how gender is chosen within a person. Based on reproductive organs, sex is easily determined at birth: male or female. Gender, however; is the sexual identity an individual takes on. It is possible for sex and gender to be different. For an example of nurture children who were both born with an injured or damaged reproductive organ, males usually can be raised successfully as females. In order to understand which factor is the deciding factor of a person’s gender, both sides of the case must be fully evaluated. DNA studies which appear to prove that gender is a genetic trait. Researchers have analyzed the makeup of the human brain of homosexuals and heterosexuals seeking a connection between gender and the brains physiology. They found when studying the part of the brain directly related to a persons’ sexual drive, that homosexuals had an enlarged hypothalamus, whereas heterosexuals had a normal one indicating a direct correlation between the brain and gender selections (AllPsych). In researching DNA’s role in gender identity, some scientist have identified the gene that determines a person’s sexual preference. Although there are mounting evidence of the existence of a â€Å"gay gene, â€Å"the opposition denies the existence (AllPsych). People in support of the Nurture argument claim that is an individual conscious or subconscious decision as to his or her gender identify. While many claim that people may control their sexual orientation, their brain, and not the other way around are actually controlling them. A person DNA and brain physiology control sexual preference which may be associated in the amygdale of the limbic system (Pscyhsmart). When scientist castrated the rats, stopping the creation of androgen, the male rats became submissive. When the androgen was given to the female rats, they began to display masculine behaviors. This experiment resulted in the male rat being submissive and allowing the female rat to  mount the male, unlike the normal male rat that would mount the female when engaging in reproduction ( Lippa 102). Similar to humans, if male do not have proper balance of hormones with his body, he may show feminine traits. These hormones are a biological aspect of gender that affects the decision to be homosexual or heterosexual. On the other hand, for the purpose of this discussion, addiction can take many forms, including not only substance use disorders, but also pathologic gambling, bulimia, and a host of other disorders. Dependency, abuse, and addiction are used relatively interchangeably; however, there is ongoing debate within the field regarding the best terminology. Furthermore, differences in how these phenotypes are surrounded can have an impact on the results of gene discovery efforts. Genetic loci that have been consistently associated with various forms of substance addiction, as well as those that demonstrate relevance to pharmacologic treatment. While the nature vs. nurture debate has raged, is the contribution of interactions between genetics and environment. In reality, â€Å"gene expression is environment dependent† and it impossible to obtain pure estimates of genetic vs. environmental contribution – one could not exist without the other. The environment a child experiences is partly a consequence of the child’s genes as well as external factors. To some extent a person seeks out and creates his or her environment. If she is of a mechanical bent she practices mechanical skills; if a bookworm, she seeks out books. Thus genes may create an appetite rather than an aptitude. Remember that the high heritability of short-sightedness is accounted for not just by the heritability of a gene for short sightedness but by the heritability of literate habits. Conversely, on the discussion of intelligence, there are three facts about the transmission of intelligence that virtually everyone seems to accept: 1. Both heredity and environment contribute to intelligence. 2. Heredity and environment interact in various ways. 3. Extremely poor as well as highly enriched environments can interfere with the realization of a person’s intelligence, regardless of the person’s heredity (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 1997, p.xi). Intelligence that appears to relate to ability to reason abstractly, to learn and to adapt. In closing, homosexuality, addictions and intelligence have reliable  statistical relationships with important social phenomena, but they are a limited tool for deciding what to make of any given individual. As stated by Ridley, â€Å"Mother Nature has plainly not entrusted our genetic capacities to the blind fate of a gene or genes; she gave us parents, learning, language, culture and education to program ourselves with.† WORKS CITED: Johnson, Ryan D. AllPsych (2005). â€Å"Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture†. Ridley, M. (1999). Genome: The autobiography of a species in 23 chapters. London: Fourth Estate Ltd. Sternberg, R. J., & Grigorenko, E. (Eds.) (1997). Intelligence, heredity, and environment. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

A Failure to Respond essays

A Failure to Respond essays Between June 1941 and May 1945, six million Jews were systematically annihilated under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. However, because of Germany's firm control over most of Europe, information about theFinal Solution? wasn't leaked to the presses until a year later. In June 1942, the Daily Telegraph was the first to report that 700,000 Jews had been gassed (Laqueur, 261). The United States had already declared war against the Axis powers following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. One would then assume that after reading this published report that the United States, as a world power, would have jumped in and taken immediate action to halt the atrocities that were being committed by the Nazis. However, the United States? response was quite the opposite. As a world power, the United States could have and should have put forth a sizeable effort towards assisting the European Jewry, without compromising its war efforts against the Axis powe rs. The American government chose to sit on the information of the mass genocide of the European Jewry. It wasn't until November 24, 1942 that information about the genocide of the European Jewry was published in non-prominent U.S. newspapers. However, at that point, two million European Jews had already been murdered. To make matters even worse, the American State Department actively blocked information about the Nazi's persecution of the European Jewry for eleven weeks. The despicable actions of the American government didn't stop there as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ignored spies who had personally witnessed the atrocities that were occurring in the Nazi death camps. President Roosevelt even went as far as claiming that he was 'too busy? when 400 Rabbis from around the U.S. came to the White House, a day before the most holy Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, with a petition to form a council for rescue in hopes of saving 70,000 Rom...

Amiri Barakas Dutchman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Amiri Barakas Dutchman - Essay Example Also, mutually make the summit that sexual relationships across racial lines do not increase understanding, nor should it put in to any sense of ability about the life of the other. In the Dutchman, we bystander a subway ride with Clay, early-20s middle class black chap, and Lula, a closer to 30, stimulating white women (Freeman 45). All through the engage in hobby Lula taunts Clay, hints in the path of the apparition of sex, claims to recognize about his "type", then subsequently moves next to affronts and "Uncle Tom" derisions, swelling the panorama significantly. Basically, at its core, Clay is spokesperson of black assimilationists, and Lula might be any white noninterventionist who declares to know how black populace are and how they should be, and Amiri Baraka finally seems to have no survival for furthermore lone of them (Freeman 46). If the Dutchman is bursting of antipathy, the Slave takes that theme to a whole unrelated level. In this play, we have 3 typescript Grace and Ea sley, an ashen broadminded link; and Walker a black chap that we are initial opened to as intoxicated with a weapon, but later on learn out that he is the earlier-husband of Grace (Freeman 48). In the backdrop blasts choose a pin number present or prospect combat amid blacks in addition to whites. Walker is the person in charge of an aggressive radical black release movement whose ultimate goal seems to be to be applicable all white people (Freeman 49). We learn that Grace had left Walker years prior to for the very simple reason that if his aim was to slay all ashen people, and she ensued to be ashen, then she might not estimate herself safe (Freeman 50). Even though Walker is a killer, he is still clearly a sufferer in this play, since the need for destructive ethnic war could only happen out of decades of compulsion without respite (Freeman 51). The vitriol builds in this appoint in recreation in such a technique that at hand is only lone predictable completing (Freeman 52). A pr opensity observes Baraka's plays as the apotheosis  of the communication of the Black Arts association can sometimes unsighted us to the numerous complexities of his job (O'neal 16). One viewpoint from which we can attitude his job is to observe it not as the uncomplicated, straight-forward personification of the thoughts of "jingoism" and "upheaval," or as an phrase of a "true black uniqueness," but as an attempt to extricate the received hostility between a combination of binary group such as aesthetic/political affairs, black/white, entity/community, pretense/face, and Europe/Africa by concomitantly occupying a fundamentally altered viewpoint and privileging marginalized circumstances (O'neal 18). Dutchman has been one of the majorities well-liked of Jones/Baraka's plays and consequently one that has received copious serious attentiveness (O'neal 19). In a significant and then-inclusive study of Baraka's job, Baraka: The rebel and the disguise, Kimberly W. Benston draws in the deed of the slot in in recreation an archetypal tragic prototype: "the drop from asset through hamartia, and from hamartia to calamity (O'neal 20). Through tracing the classic tragic first of its kind in Clay's fall, Benston places him historically as a pre-revolutionary fatality who is also the harbinger of eventual black accomplishment (O'neal 27). In a later dissertation, "Performing Blackness," Benston sketches two dissimilar theories of black selfhood  and the arrangement of that selfhood by and in the "play" of verbal communication. He distinctions Ralph Ellison's hallucination of blackness as an continuously mediated sign with what he proposes is Baraka's more "indispensable" figuration  of blackness. "For Baraka," Benston articulates The plot of Dutchman is exposed and bleak. Other

Materials and manufacture 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Materials and manufacture 2 - Essay Example The six different properties of the seven different materials are identified in terms of their standard definition and then the typical values are further tabulated in SI units in the following table 1 for the purpose of comparison. The material specifications for metals such as low carbon steel and aluminum-zinc alloys can be found in American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and Aluminum Association standards respectively. For example, ASTM A36 (American Society of Testing and Materials[ASTM], 2011 ) is a low carbon structural steel available in various forms such as plates, bars, sheets and rolled products. The properties of A36 are included in table 1. Aluminum-Zinc alloys are designated as 7000 series Al alloy by Aluminum Association based in Arlington, Virginia. 7000 series however include the entire gamut of products like flats, long, castings and so on. The table 1 provides the properties of aluminum-zinc castings only. The thermoplastic polymers are availabl e in form of various brands in the market. The injected molded polymers parts are widely used in industries and hence included in the property table 1. As regards wood, the properties of solid Beech and Birch are included in table 1. Table 1 Properties of materials (http://www.matweb.com & http://www.matbase.com) Material Yield Strength In MPa Young Modulus In MPa % Elongation Electrical Resistivity In  µ?-m Thermal Conductivity in W/m-K Density In gm /cm3 Low Carbon Steel 250 210000 23 0.1612 43-54 7.85 Aluminum Zinc Alloys 205 71000 1 0.038-0.057 121-155 2.80 Acetal Coplymer 37-120 586-12100 1.0-250 1.0e+17 0.231-0.31 1.32-1.54 HDPE 9-43 180-1570 3.20-2080 1.00e+18 0.288-0.400 0.918-1.05 LDPE 7.7-136 110-449 13.5-800 1.0e+17 0.30-0.33 0.91-0.98 BEECH WOOD 130** 10000-18000 * * 0.04-0.4 0.66-0.780 BIRCH PLY 134** 14500-16500 * * 0.04-0.4 0.73 Note. * Woods and ply are not ductile materials and they are good electrical insulators. 130** and 134** represent Ultimate Tensile strengt h. The standards such as ASTM again provide the measurement techniques of both mechanical and physical properties of materials. Depending on the techniques there may be wider variation in mechanical properties which are dependent on the geometry of the test piece. The physical properties are however constant across all geometries of the test piece but found to vary depending on the varied chemical composition. For example, the carbon content in the ASTM A36 material can influence the thermal conductivity values. Similarly, the polymers namely, Acetal Copolymer, HDPE, LDPE exhibit wide ranges of variation in both physical and mechanical properties across various brands available in the market. Hence the values tabulated in table 1 are all typical values. The actual values shall be taken from suitable sources for a specific application. THE CONCEPT OF THE QUANTITATIVE PROPERTIES Strength: It can be defined either in terms of Yield Tensile Strength or Ultimate Strength depending on the desired application. Yield Tensile Strength is the axial load applied per unit area just required to initiate plastic deformation beyond the elastic range of the material. This plastic